Family?
by princedwardriveria
Summary: A tragic story of Ivan's family and a story that will put Ivan in a different light. He's not the cold-hearted child everyone thinks he is. There was a reason for his insanity, and he's determined to put his life right again. Horror and psychological themes may be present in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my first hetalia fic and its probably fonna be a sad one.  
Involves Ivan, Nat, Ekat, Ed, Toris and Raivis. I've gone back to shorter chapters, cause big ones leave me strugging to find things to drag it out. this is short and simple: and i hope you enjoy it :)  
**

**Please don't forget to review, it means the world to me.  
**

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**Chapter 1:**

A cold winter breeze blew from the north. Snow littered the ground surrounding the ornate castle before him. Both his parents held his hands, to keep them warm. The family stood at the entrance to the castle, admiring the golden glow it seemed to give off, blurred by the wind and falling snow.

"Мама, do we get to live here?" the young boy asked. His face was full of anticipation, eager for his mother to agree.

"Да. And we can stay here and live happily for the rest of our lives. No war, nor poverty, and no hatred." His parents both smiled at him and he blushed a deep red.

"Срасиба, мама."

"Пажалста, Иван."

The family trundled towards the shimmering castle, towing their luggage behind. Ivan smiled as they reached the door. His father lifter him up and all three turned the doorknob together.

A whole world of excitement awaited Ivan.

_(Ten years later)_

"Hurry up Наталя!"

"Oh stop whining Екатерина; it is usually you who is trailing behind!"

"Yes but I cannot pass up this opportunity to tease you!"

Two girls wandered the forest, wasting away their day. They had nothing better to do; their parents were busy and they didn't fit in with the other children. Ekaterina had hit puberty early and was picked on for her short hair and large chest. Natalya was a pretty girl, but had a short temper, and was anti-social around others. But the girls were happy playing in the forest, the contrasting dark green of the conifers and the pristine white snow provided a haven for them.

This time, the girls were going to visit a favourite place of theirs; the Golden Palace. They never went in though; there were many rumours about it being haunted. They would just stare at the beautiful light it gave off.

"I win! I got here before you for the very first time!" shouted Ekaterina, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Yeah well don't expect it to happen again," Natalya shot back. The girls sat down in front of the double doors, and Ekaterina took out some lunch.

"You know, Nat…"

"Hmm?"

"I think it would be nice to explore the castle for once."

"WHAAAAATTT!" Natalya shouted, halfway through eating a toasted sandwich.

"Да, I think it would be a nice thing to finally see inside."

"But…but the rumours!"

"Exactly. They're just rumours. Now, let's go!" Ekaterina got up to open the door but Natalya blocked her path.

"Now wait a second! What if there is something living in there. I mean, I feel like something bad could happen if we go in."

"Oh, okay then," Ekaterina sighed. But suddenly her face lit up.

"I know! How about tomorrow! We can get prepared this afternoon and be ready to explore tomorrow!"

"Uh…" was all Natalya could manage. _'There's no stopping this girl,' _she thought to herself.

"Здорово! Let's go to my house now, and gather some food and torches and other things!" She grabbed Natalya by the arm and the two sped off back into the forest.

If the girls had stayed a little longer, they may have heard the sound of someone crying coming from the other side of the door.

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**Ah, warning, russian present. Meanings (in order):**

**I think we all know what 'da' means**

**spasiba- thankyou**

**pazhalsta-youre welcome**

**ivan**

**ekaterina**

**natalya**

**zdorovo-great!**

**Well, the next few chapters should be longer, so stay tuned!**

**Prince Ed**


	2. Chapter 2

**I had to make a second chapter immediately. It needed to be continued right away. More depressing and mysterious this chapter...hope you like it :)  
**

**Remember, reviews make the world go round (they also make me cry with happiness).  
**

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**Chapter 2:**

"All set Natalya?"

"No but I guess I'll never be ready anyway."

"Aha! Then let us be off!"

The two teens set off into the forest backing on to Ekaterina's back-yard. Natalya had slept over that night and the girls had not stopped talking about the adventure they were going to have the next day. Natalya even thought she felt a little…excited about the whole thing.

The sun had held out for them as they trudged their way across the snow, back to the castle they had been to the previous day. Ekaterina took this time to survey the surrounding area. Usually when they came here, they didn't pay attention to the environment. But Ekaterina felt invigorated and refreshed today, and was amazed at how much she was missing out on.

There were cute little squirrels scuttling amongst the tree branches, which intertwined so neatly that it looked like a network of miniature roads that the small creatures could travel on. She spotted a figure about 100 metres away and realized she was looking at a young deer, who seemed to be lost, when suddenly what appeared to be her mother, followed by a whole herd of does came to the little ones rescue. The group ran off away from Ekaterina, and kicked up a whirlwind of freshly powdered snow from that night. Ekaterina giggled at the dizzying happiness that she saw all around her; until she was firmly brought down to reality by a muffled cough Natalya.

"Try to keep your happiness to yourself, it's infectious," Natalya said sternly.

"But does that mean you've already caught it?" Ekaterina replied. Natalya glanced at her unforgivingly, but slowly her frown evaporated.

"Maybe…" she said with a smile and quickly ran over to Ekaterina, snatched her hands and started spinning.

"Nat-hah-ya!" Ekaterina laughed. Natalya's usual dark blue maid outfit with striped bows puffed up into a mushroom dress, which they both found hilarious. The two laughed and danced around and round through the forest, until they reached the clear skies of the castle clearing. They turned to face the golden doors and walked forward, hand in hand.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Katya?" Natalya asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be…" Ekaterina answered, almost half-heartedly. She grabbed the doorknob and waited for Natalya to do the same. After reaching out to touch it, Natalya paused for a second, took a deep breath in and rested her hand on the knob. They turned it, and it slowly creaked open to reveal a black hole, with a glimmer of light in the distance.

Both girls took a step inside and Ekaterina closed the door.

"Wait, Ekaterina. We just strolled in, thinking that the door would be unlocked."

"And it was! How-…convenient," Ekaterina replied. The girls tightened their grip on each other and continued slowly. The warm light ahead got brighter as they neared it, and the walls became just visible, showing their ornate designs for the first time. Ekaterina's mouth dropped a little in awe at the sight. They approached the light to find that it was a set of candles placed on a small table. As well as the candles, the girls found a bottle of water and two glasses.

They brought two chairs leaning against the corridor walls and poured themselves a glass each like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Are you thinking that-" Ekaterina started to ask.

"-That someone was waiting for us? What was your first clue: the unlocked door, or the awaiting bottle of water?" Natalya finished.

"The water. It made me think we had an invisible butler catering to our every whim!" Ekaterina said excitedly.

"Which isn't creepy at all…" Natalya said sarcastically. She got up to leave but Ekaterina grabbed her wrist.

"No leaving. We came in here, and we're not leaving until we see the whole palace."

Natalya stared at her for a moment. Ekaterina's eyes were like flames, but Natalya's stare was like ice. The two girls could be exact opposites at times, but fire and ice cancelled each other out, and they usually made up quickly.

This time however, the fire was stronger, and it melted Natalya's cold feelings.

"Fine. But we stick together at all times. Ты панимаеш?" she said in her most mature voice. Even though Natalya acted like she was older, Ekaterina was born about half a year earlier.

"Да, я панимаю," Ekaterina said obediently. She got up, took Natalya's hand and set off, following a trail of candles.

The candles took them through the many halls and rooms of the palace; large bedrooms, with four poster beds; living rooms with luscious silk cushions; and kitchens that belonged in restaurants, rather than houses. All throughout, the walls continued to fascinate the girls, as the light from the candles reflected on them and gave the whole palace an orange hue. Coupled with the black designs on the walls, it felt like they had travelled back in time to a place full of royalty, grandeur, and wealth.

"It's like it was built before the Revolution…" Ekaterina whispered.

"I think that's because it was…they said everything connected to royalty was destroyed, but I think this place was secluded enough to go unnoticed," Natalya explained.

"Oh my goodness…just think, we could be the first ever to set foot in here after the revolution!" Ekaterina said slightly louder, lost in her thoughts.

"Shhhh! You're forgetting someone," Natalya hissed in her ear. Ekaterina gasped as she remembered.

The invisible butler.

"Come Natalya, we must continue," she beckoned. They followed the candles past countless rooms, some even had notes detailing the history of the room. However, the history was less than pleasant.

'_Whoever lived here must have had a horrible life. It must be the butler telling us,' _Natalya thought.

Finally, they reached the end of the candle trail. It led to a small room, devoid of any furniture or wall designs. There weren't even any candles inside the room.

"This must be the centre of the palace," Ekaterina gasped.

"It was as if the butler led us through a maze to this place," Natalya added. "But, if so, then why hasn't anything happened?"

The girls stood there, waiting for something, anything to happen. They stood, staring at the blank wall, waiting for the butler to step out of the shadows and reveal himself and explain everything.

But nothing happened.

"Maybe we should go…" Natalya suggested.

Ekaterina just stood there, her face blank, the default expression for when she was upset. Natalya knew her friend needed a few more seconds to comprehend the situation. She spotted a tear roll down her cheek, then another, and another, and soon she heard quiet sobs. Ekaterina knelt down and began to cry. Natalya knelt down beside her, trying to think of something comforting to say.

"Please, don't cry. It makes me sad."

Ekaterina stopped crying, but the words hadn't come from Natalya's mouth.

Both girls stood up and turned around slowly. Standing before them in the middle of the doorway wasn't a butler, it was a boy.

He was about their age, and quite tall too.

"Are you our butler?" Ekaterina asked.

He simply smiled and said, "Здравствуйте. Меня зовут Иван Брагински. Очень приятно."

"_Hello. My name is Ivan Braginski. It is a pleasure to meet you."_

He smiled as tears welled up in his eyes and for the first time in ten years, he began to cry with joy.

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**Ты панимаеш?- ti panimaesh?-do you anderstand?**

**Да, я панимаю- da, ya panimyou- Yes, i understand.**

**Hopefully there will be more to come soon!**

**Prince Eduard (haha i changed the spelling to match Estonia)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A-ha-ha-ha, chapter 3 is ready! Not as i had planned but still quite a good chapter (it's not like i'm writing a chapter for EB, that's like hell for me). Forgot disclaimer so here it is...I DO NOT OWN HETALIA...there, I said it, happy? I god damn wish i did though...  
**

**Please review, I received two really positive ones and I was overjoyed. It really does mean something to the author.  
**

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**Chapter 3:**

Ivan couldn't stop crying with joy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get over the fact that someone had finally found him.

The girls just stood and watched the poor boy cry.

"Should we comfort him?" whispered Ekaterina.

"I think so…" replied Natalya. The walked over to the boy, led him over to the wall, and sat down with him.

"Ivan, please, calm down…we'd like to talk to you," Ekaterina said soothingly. Ivan looked up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm just so glad…that you're here."

"Ivan," started Natalya, "are you our invisible butler?"

Ivan smiled. "Да, you liked it?"

Ekaterina laughed. "Yes, it was very kind of you. But we have a few questions for you." Ivan looked puzzled.

"Questions? You're not here to be friends?" he asked, a look of horror appearing in his eyes.

"Of course we can be friends, but we need to know a few things first. Like why are you here? Did you overhear us discussing to visit this place?" Natalya asked.

"Oh, yes…I was right on the other side of the front door. I thought you would like to see this place and have a nice time, so I spent the rest of the day cleaning the entire palace and setting a trail of candles."

"Wait-you cleaned the entire palace? It wasn't all shiny like this before?" Ekaterina sounded stunned.

"No, I usually spend my days here in this room, where there is nothing to remind me of the past. I sit in the corner of this room, and I cry. I cry and hope that maybe one day someone finds me, and decides to take me with them.

"So, you've lived here your whole life?" Natalya asked curiously.

"Oh, since I was five. I'm fifteen now. My parents had this palace built, and we were going to live a happy, peaceful life, where the rebels would not find us. But one day, we were out shopping, and they caught my parents. I tried to scream for help but no one listened. The last words they said were, 'We love you Ivan, don't dishonour us.' And then they were gone. I couldn't bear to face the world after that, so I stayed here for the rest of my life."

"Fifteen? We're fifteen too! Natya, another friend our age!" Ekaterina said excitedly but Natalya wasn't listening.

"But what about food, water-" she asked worriedly, however Ivan simply laughed.

"I am still able to use a telephone to order supplies. But what I'm lacking is a family."

'_A family…'_Ekaterina thought. "Ah, Ivan, we could be your family!" she said enthusiastically.

"Katya are you crazy! We're not even related so how-" Natalya was cut off by Ivan.

"Do you mean that? I don't want to leave here so you'd have to stay…"

"Oh, well in that case we could be temporary family. We can visit you every weekend and talk about anything you want!" Ekaterina stated.

"Ah, you'd do that for me? Yes! Wonderful! But now we must celebrate!" rejoiced Ivan.

'_That was a little…quick' _thought Natalya, but she went along with it.

"Okay, first, I want you to take me outside. I haven't seen the world in years!" Ivan demanded happily.

"Of course!" agreed Ekaterina, and took his arm in hers. Natalya took his other arm and the three strode off to the front doors, back along the trail of candles.

For some reason, the walls seemed to be less mysterious and more comforting to Ekaterina this time round. It was as if she had lived here all her life, and the palace was welcoming her home. Like she was part of the family.

They reached the doors and they stopped at the doorknob.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back outside Ivan?" asked Natalya.

"Да," was all he said. And with that, he took hold of the door knob, turned it, and pushed the double doors open wide. Blinding light met them and the refraction from the lightly falling snow intensified the light. Ivan had to blink many times before actually setting foot on the snow.

"A-ha-ha! It's exactly as I remembered! The trees and the snow and …nothing else! Oh, I thank you two will all my heart!" he cried as he let go of their arms and spun around and round in the snow and collapsed on the ground laughing, hands resting on his stomach.

The two girls laughed as well. It was like watching a child get a present he had wanted for a very long time. They walked over to where he was lying and lay down with him.

"It's a bit cold…" Ivan stated.

"Oh," said Ekaterina, trying to think of a way to warm him up.

"I know! Here, take my scarf."

"Katya! That was your mother's scarf, you can't just give it away!" Natalya burst out.

"But he's freezing! Just for now, okay?" And with that she took of her scarf and wrapped it around Ivan.

"I think it suits you." Ekaterina remarked. Ivan smiled at the comment.

"Thank you, I feel much warmer. So, now that you're my family, I guess you're my sisters. Which one of you two is older?"

"I am but only by-" Ekaterina started but yet again Ivan cut in.

"Then it's settled. You are big sister Katya," he said looking at Ekaterina, "and you are little sister Natya!" he said turning to face Natalya. Natalya's expression changed to one of bewilderment. She had no siblings, so to be a little sister for once, it was strange…

"Wonderful," she said and smiled, reaching out for Ivan's hand. He took it, and Ekaterina's and the three teenagers looked up at the overcast sky, a significant change from the clear sky before the girls had entered.

'_I wonder how things will work out between us, siblings usually fight.' _Natalya thought. But she couldn't focus on her worries due to the overwhelming happiness of having another friend besides Ekaterina.

And Ivan, well, Ivan could not be brought down from this high, he wouldn't let it happen. Nothing that could possibly happen in the future would be able to destroy the happiness that he felt at that moment.

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**Okay, stay tuned for more!  
**

**Ed.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated in awhile, but I've had no motivation or sense of plot. Event his chapter is a bit weird...oh well, best I could do for now, I'll try to do a better job next chapter.  
**

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**Chapter 4:**

Ivan did not want to leave the palace, so Ekaterina and Natalya said goodbye and that they would fetch him tomorrow for his first day of school. Ivan had known about school, but had never had the chance to go. Ekaterina thought it would be a great way for him to make new friends and learn about everything that had happened in the last ten years of his life, while also preparing him for integrating back into society. Natalya scolded Ekaterina for using those words, she said it made him sound, 'like a wild animal'.

The next day, the girls raced over through the forest to Ivan's palace. Natalya knocked on the door and immediately Ivan opened it on the other side.

"Oh, were you waiting for us?" Ekaterina asked.

"No, I was just eager to go to school! We should set off right away."

"Good idea!" Ekaterina chided. The three set back off through the trees and back into town. Natalya looked at Ivan and saw the astounded yet joyous look on his face as they walked through the conifers and pines. It reminded her of something…it reminded her of Ekaterina walking through this exact same spot yesterday. She had felt truly happy then, and Ivan's expression reminded her of Ekaterina staring in awe at the beauty around her. Natalya smiled a little inside.

As they reached the edge of town Ivan stopped.

"Is something the matter?" Ekaterina asked.

"Yes. I've not been near civilisation for ten years. Everything has changed…I don't know what to feel right now…" he explained.

"Ivan..." Natalya said quietly. Ivan looked at her, curious.

"You should feel confident," she stated. Ivan smiled at this and hugged his younger sister.

"Okay. Let us hurry then!" he shouted, and dragged both girls all the way to the school, with Ekaterina rapidly yelling directions. He abruptly stopped at the front gate staring in curiousity.

"So, this is school?" he asked.

"Yes, now Ivan…us two, we aren't that…you know, respected…" Natalya tried to explain.

"What do you mean, I thought I respected you?" he queried.

"Yes Ivan, I know you do…but here, we don't have many friends. Most people think we're weird. Maybe it's better if you don't sit with us at school, so people can get to be your friend," Natalya continued.

"Nonsense! If they don't like you, they'll just have to get over it! I'm still sticking with you, I don't want to get lost, you know?" he stated clearly, and with that, he walked through the gates. The students in the yard immediately rushed towards him, curious to find out about the new kid. Ivan panicked and ran over to the building where the classes were held.

"Wait, Ivan!" Ekaterina called and ran after him. Luckily, the bell rang, and it was time to go to class. Natalya followed Ekaterina and they caught up with Ivan.

"Ivan, don't be scared! They're just curious, that's all!" Ekaterina tried to explain.

"Oh, sorry. I…I was just reminded of the day my parents were taken. A large group of people descended on us and took them away. I felt a bit like that again when they closed in on me," he apologised.

"Okay, everyone, in. NOW!" yelled the teacher.

The class was small. After the revolution, many were left poor and helpless. Many people could not afford to send their children to school. Fortunately, Ekaterina's parents had survived the depression and were now doing well with the money they made. This money was also used to help Natalya's parents, who were still struggling. This included paying for Natalya to go to school with Ekaterina.

"Class, today we have a new student, Ivan," The teacher stated once all the teens were seated. Quiet giggling could be heard as Ivan stood in front of the class. Most people thought this was quite a cliché.

"Ah, hello everyone. My name is Ivan Braginsky. I have been living in the Golden Palace for the past ten years now, so I have come here to learn about the world. I hope I can get along with all of you," he said with a smile. Quite a few girls blushed as he said this. Natalya thought they were sick people. Ivan wasn't ready to go out yet, he probably didn't know anything about love…

As Ivan walked back to sit with Natalya and Ekaterina, a girl grabbed his sleeve. He squeaked a bit and looked at the girl with a surprised expression.

"Oh, don't worry, I just wanted to tell you…you're kinda cute. Do want to sit with me and my friends?" she asked. Ivan looked over at Natalya. She nodded, pleading with him to do it.

"I'm sorry, I cannot; I'm already sitting with Natalya over there," he said and smiled at Natalya. The girl's smile faded.

"You're sitting with her?" she asked, dumbfounded. Ivan didn't like this girl's attitude towards Natalya.

"Yes, you heard right," he said a little more firmly, and sat down at the desk next to Natalya and Ekaterina. And that was that.

For the next three years, Ivan, Natalya and Ekaterina remained in their own little world, getting good grades, and staying out of trouble. However, when Ekaterina saw some of the girls looking in Ivan's direction, she couldn't help but feel a tear run down her cheek. She thought of the life Ivan could have had with the more socially accepted group of kids. They really did find him attractive, with his pale face and pale blond hair. Ekaterina even found herself fawning over his cuteness when he wore his new scarf that they had bought for him.

Natalya on the other hand, had come to grow closer to Ivan, to seek help and support, like a little sister should. She was so proud of him every time he stood up to the boys teasing him, it was a side she had hadn't seen yet, but something about it made her enjoy his company more. Maybe it was the look of control and superiority he had on his face, and the way he could threaten anyone, since he already had nothing to lose.

Ivan couldn't care less. He saw the girls swoon over him, but he didn't understand why; Natalya said it was called 'jealousy', but Ekaterina called it 'love'. But he was content with his sisters' company, and they were top of the class, he didn't see why he needed a social life.

By the end of their high school years, the three teens walked out of school proud and ready to face the world ahead. The girl that had called Ivan cute all those years ago notice them sneak away quietly. She ran up to them before the stepped out of the gate.

"Um, excuse me, Ivan?"

Ivan looked at her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked

The girl became a bit flustered after this and faltered a bit. "I-I-I'm sorry that I made fun of your friends, but the truth is for the past few years I really have admired your courage standing up to those other boys. I don't know why, but I feel really bad for you not being able to make any other friends."

"You don't need to feel sorry for me; I enjoy being alone with just my sisters. Now, if you'll excuse us, we were just about to leave," Ivan replied, his face emotionless. The three turned around and went to start walking again when the girl grabbed Ivan's arm.

Ivan turned around quickly and whacked her hand off him, glaring at her with pure hatred. But the girl hadn't grabbed him to yell at him; instead, she looked at him with terror on her face.

"P-p-please don't hurt me! Here…take this medal I made. I'm sorry if I scared you just then, but I made this especially for you. It's to symbolise your inner strength and intellect. I believe that you've been the most outstanding student in our year, I just wanted to thank you and make up…that's all…" she explained.

Ivan stopped staring and blinked in shock: he'd just hit someone who meant no harm. In fact, she had just confessed her admiration for him in the form of a medal. He blushed a little and stepped closer to her. She recoiled a little and whimpered but all he did was spread his arms out, signalling for a hug. She ran into his arms and hugged tight, almost starting to cry. He helped her pin the medal onto his coat and finally smiled.

"Thank you very much. I'm sorry I acted harshly; I didn't know your true intentions. But I promise you this; I will never remove this medal as long as I live."

The girl smiled and stepped away, waving goodbye as she watched them walk away. Ivan smiled back at her. Ekaterina also smiled. Natalya half-smiled; she was happy that Ivan had made another friend, but she didn't like how he was getting too close to her.

They walked off back to the palace, leaving the girl at the gate wondering if she'd ever see the boy of her dreams again.

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**Yeah...I thought it was sad...I wanted to get it on that track before my heart could take over and turn this into a happy chap, or even a happy story. This WILL BE a sad story, and this chapter will come back to haunt them later on...I have at least thought of most of the plot for the other chapters!**

**Oh well, next to be updated will be Vocaloid Life, you should check that soon. **

**Prince Ed.**


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